Truth to power and the struggle of the non-conformist against the institution — sometimes tragic, sometimes comedic — take the stage when The MTM Players present One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, March 20-29 at the Kelsey Theatre on Mercer County Community College’s West Windsor Campus.

Based on the novel by Ken Kesey, the play explores the issues of individuality and freedom. Set in a psychiatric hospital in the 1960s, the story begins when brash petty criminal Randle McMurphy arrives at the facility, disrupting the rigid order imposed by the tyrannical Nurse Ratched. A battle of wills ensues, challenging the ideas of freedom, conformity, and what it truly means to be sane in a world where sanity means conformity, and following the rules is the only way to survive.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest opened on Broadway in 1963 with an adaptation by Dale Wasserman starring Kirk Douglas as Randle McMurphy. The play had a Broadway revival in 2002, earning the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play as well as a Tony nomination for Gary Sinise as best actor. The 1975 film adaptation starred Jack Nicholson as McMurphy, winning all five major Academy Awards.

Dates and showtimes are Fridays, March 20 and 27, and Saturday, March 21 at 8 p.m., with matinee performances Saturday, March 28 and Sundays, March 22 and March 29, at 2 p.m. All performances are at the Kelsey Theatre on Mercer County Community College’s West Windsor Campus, 1200 Old Trenton Road.

The performance is rated R and recommended for mature audiences due to strong language, adult themes, violence, sexual references, and suicide. Tickets are $24 for adults and $22 for seniors and students. Visit kelseytheatre.org.